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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · mug · cabinet · face · date · patient · court · stick

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. court — for sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. court — of a king
  11. date — the fruit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stand — to bear
  19. face — to confront
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. court — of law
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com